Are you getting prepared for the Persian New Year Nowruz? Part of this is spring cleaning, making sabzeh, and baking cookies. Shirini-e Zaban – Persian Puff Pastry شیرینی زبان, is besides of Cake Yazdi and Nan-e Nokhodchi, a popular and nostalgic sweet to treat guests on celebrations. In Farsi, Shirini means sweet, and Zaban tongue, as they have the shape of a tongue. Shirini Zaban is a traditional sweet from the city of Qazvin in Iran.

It’s a simple recipe, all you need is ready-made butter puff pastry, butter, honey, rose water, and cardamom. The golden Shirini-e Zaban is quick to prepare, flaky and crispy and not too sweet. Once they come out of the oven, brush them with the honey-rosewater-glaze, and sprinkle them with ground pistachios, grated coconut, or sesame seeds, depending on your taste. With Nowruz just around the corner, check out my blog for plenty of Nowrooz recipes and ideas.

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HOW TO WORK WITH PUFF PASTRY

It is quite easy to prepare sweet or savory dishes from puff pastry. But you should pay attention to a few points so your puff pastry rises fluffy and flaky while baking.

• The ready-puff pastry should be cold during processing.
• The room temperature should even be cool.
• Do not knead the dough, as the beautiful layers will not rise in the oven.
• Cut the edge with a pizza cutter so it will rise better.
• Leave the cookie cutter, pizza cutter, and rolling pin in the freezer.
• When cutting, use a sharp and cold cutter.
• Work quickly, as the dough will lose shape if it is warm.
• Avoid touching the dough too much, as it will lose shape due to body heat.
• When brushing, do not brush the edges, this will cause the layers to stick together, and the dough will not rise properly.
• Brushing the surface gives it a nice glaze.
• Let rest in the refrigerator or even the freezer for 20 minutes before baking.
• The oven should be well-preheated.
• It turns out best at 200° top/bottom heat or 180° convection oven.
• Puff pastry tastes best fresh.
• Keeps in a cool place (not in the fridge) and covered up to 3 days.

DIY MOLD FOR SHIRINI ZABAN

Shirini Zaban is traditionally cut with a cookie cutter in an ellipse shape*. Ellipse molds are available in French patisseries and are very high priced. I bought my mold years ago, but it is only 6 cm and quite expensive. I like the size, but traditionally the Shirini Zaban is much larger, about 10 cm long. You can also easily make an ellipse from a round cookie cutter*. For this, press the sides and form an ellipse shape. Many people also cut the Shirini Zaban into squares it’s a matter of taste.

INGREDIENTS SHIRINI-E ZABAN

INGREDIENTS HONEY-ROSEWATER-GLAZE

4 tbsp honey*

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tbsp. rose water*

1 tsp. cardamom*

INGREDIENTS SHIRINI ZABAN

2 packages butter puff pastry*

2 tbsp. butter

TOPPING

10 g ground pistachios*

10 g grated coconut* (optional)

10 g sesame seeds* (optional)

PREPARATION HONEY-ROSEWATER-GLAZE

Mix honey with boiling water, let it cool down, then mix it with rose water and cardamom.

PREPARATION SHIRINI-E ZABAN

Preheat oven to 200°.

Melt the butter.

Spread the puff pastry on a floured work surface or directly on the baking paper, brush with melted butter, and place the next puff pastry layer on top. Gently go over it with a rolling pin once. Cut off the edges, and cut out ellipses using an ice-cold cookie cutter.

Cut longways in the middle of the ellipses with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, leaving about 1cm free at the top and bottom.

Brush the Shirini Zaban with the honey-rosewater-glaze, and make sure it doesn’t run down the sides as it will stick together, and the sides won’t puff up.

Place in the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes, and let the puff pastry rest now.

Bake for 15- 20 minutes until golden, depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them for 15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove from oven and immediately brush again with the honey. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice. I sprinkled it with ground pistachios. You can sprinkle one side with ground pistachios and the other with shredded coconut. Let cool down and enjoy.

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

The items marked with * are affiliate links, referral links. If you buy through this link, I get a small commission. The price stays the same for you and you can easily support my efforts. A big thank you ♥

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Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe  and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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